The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-09
QUEER ANTIPATHIES.
Peter the Great and His Dread OF WateI
and Other Readable Stories.


1t seems absolutely incredible that
Peter the Great, the father of the Rus
sian navy, should shudder at the sight
of water, whether running or still, yet
so it was, especially when alone. His
palace gardens, beautiful as they were,
he never entered. because the river
Mosera flowed through them. His
coachman had orders to avoid III
roads which led past streams, and IL
compelled to cross y brook or bridge.
the great Emperor would sit with
closed windows, in a cold perspira-
ton. Another monarch, James l.,
the English Solomon, as he liked to be
called, had many antipathies, chiefly
tobacco, ling and pork. He never
overcame his inability to look with
composurs at drawn swordi
and it is said that on one occasion,
when giving the accoIadc, the King
turned his face aside, nearly wounding
the new made Knight. Henry I'LL OF
France had so great dislike to cats
that he tainted at the sight OF one. We
suppose that in this case the cat had to
waive its proverbial prerogatiye and
could not look at King. This will
seem as absurd rs extraordinary to
lady lovers of that much-petted ami
nal, but what are we TO say OF the
Countess of Lamballe. of unhappy his
tory, to whom violet was 4 thing Of
horror? Even this is not without its
precedent, for it is on record that Vim.
cent, the painter, was seized with
vertigo and swooned mt the smell Of
roses Scaliger states that one of his
relations was made i'll at the sight OF Il
lily, and he himself would turn pale at
the sight of water-cresses and could
never drink milk.
Charles Kingsley, naturalist as he
was to the core had great horror OF
spiders; and in 'Glaucus," after say.
ing that every one seems to have his
antipathic animal, continues: Il know
one (himself) bred from his childhood
to zoology by land and sea, and bold
in asserting and honest in feeling that
all without exception is beautiful, who
yet can not, after handling and pet.
ting and examining, all day long.
every uncouth and venomous beast,
avoid y paroxysm of horror at the
sight of the common house-spider"
The writer shares in this dislike TO
painful extent; in this case it is in.
herited from his grandfather. The
genial author of the Turkish Spy"
says that he would far prefer, sword
in hand, to face lion in his desert
lair than have q spider crawl over him
in the dark. The cat. Us we have pre-
viously mentioned, has repeatedly
been an object of aversion. The Dnke
of Schomberg, though redoubtable
soldier. would not sit in the same
room with n cat. A courtier of
the Emperor Ferdinand carried
this dislike so far as to bleed
at the nose on hearing cat NEW. A
well-known officer Of her Majesty's
army, who has proved his strength and
courage in more than one campaign,
turns pale at the sight of cat. On
one occasion, when asked out to din
ner, his host, who was rather skeptical
as to the reality of this feeling, con-
cealed cat in an ottoman in the din
ing-room. Dinner was announced and
commenced, but his guest was evident
: ly i'll at ease. and at length declared
his inability to 60 on eating, as he was
sure there was a cat in the room. An
apparently thorough but unavailing
search was made, but his visitor was
80 completely upset that the host, with
many apologies for his experiment.
''let the cat cut of the bag' and out OF
the ottoman at the same time. Lord
Louderdale, on the other hand, de-
clared that the mewing of cat was
10 him sweeter than any music, while
lie had the greatest dislike to the flute
and the bagpipc. In this latter aver
sion he was by no means singular.
Dogs, too, have come in for their
share of dislike. De Mussett cordially
detested them When candidate for
the academy be called upon promi-
nent member. At the gate of the cha
teau dirty, ugly dog received him
most affectionately and insisted on
preceding him into the drawing-room,
De Mussett cursing his friends predi-
lection for the brute. The academician
entered and they adjourned to the din
ing-room, the dog at their heels. seiz-
ing his opportunity. the dog placed his
muddy paws upon the spotless cloth
and carried off bonnie bouche. 1.-THE
wretch was shooting!' was De Mus
sets muttered thought, but he politely
said:
You are fond of dogs, see9"
Fond of dogs retortcd the
academician-"I hate themr
But this animal here?" queried De
Musset II have only tolerated it be-
cause thought it was yours, sir.
Mine" exclaimed the poet; "the
thought that it was yours alone kept
NE from killing him. CasseWs Fam
i{U Mnnnziue